Well that didn’t take long.
I am not surprised, just disappointed.
The calls for unity so awkwardly embraced by certain Republicans (indeed, they approached the word “unity” with all the excitement of a colonoscopy) proved to be just idle words in the wind. The bottom line (and what a bottom it is) is that there are still a lot of people out there who believe in the former president. How I relish writing those words, “former president.”
But (and it’s a big but, so to speak): A recent poll showed 74% of Republicans support that … man and 54% believe his presidency was a success.
To which I respond, compared to what? The Hindenburg? Nuclear fallout? Season 6 of Lost?
Just when I felt it was safe to go back into the water (Jaws 2 anyone?), like I could relax a bit and breathe a little easier the news reported that not only is the ex-instigator not skulking into a dark corner, or evaporating into irrelevance or, best yet, being hauled off in cuffs to serve a long prison term, he is likely to remain a major power in the GOP (Grand Old Patricians).
How can this be? How can reasonable people who have survived, barely, the four years of scorched earth diplomacy, random policies, capricious decisions and unrelenting villainy, still support this narcissist?
On the megalomaniac (MAGAlomaniac?) charm scale he ranks somewhere between Thanos and Emperor Palpatine.
Let us remember it was less than a month ago that our nation’s Capital was infiltrated by traitorous thugs, insurrectionists who killed a policeman, who gleefully toted a mini-gallows, who openly threatened the Vice President of the United States and the Speaker of the House with death. All fired up by the president, who whipped up their anger and set them on the path to the Capital building, then slunk off to watch the results on TV at a safe distance from the very rabble he minutes earlier pledged to join.
Coward.
Two short weeks later Inauguration Day was filled with stirring speeches, poems, songs and images of a country that I know. One that embraces diversity and a wide range of views and voices. I cried (in a good way) from morn to night and was exhausted by the end of the day. I don’t think I quite realized how much of a darkness I had been carrying deep inside me, trudging through four years of bleak negativity, of toxic partisanship, of juvenile bullying, of a relentless attack not only on democracy and the Constitution (remember that?) but on morality and decency itself.
Then the chatter started, the Hawleys and Cruzes blathering “Hey why so upset that a violent mob invaded the Capital? What about all those lefty rioters last summer who burned our cities to the ground?” These boneheads were (and still are) attempting to make a tenuous and dangerous connection between the sporadic violence that erupted on the fringes of the Black Lives Matter protests and the pre-planned, violent attempt to literally overthrow the government, abetted by so-called leaders spreading the Big Lie that the election was rigged, that their guy didn’t lose, but actually won in a landslide.
Apparently by their math losing the popular vote by 7 million votes constitutes wining by a landslide. That’s why we really don’t have a $3 trillion deficit. It’s a surplus, in fact. I’m just employing alternative facts.
We have members of Congress now who have stated (or tacitly supported) a desire to kill other members of Congress. They can’t sidestep these statements. Look them up. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia liked a Facebook comment that suggested Nancy Pelosi should be taken out with “a bullet to the head.” She, of course, believes her tubby orange savior won the election he so clearly lost. Lauren Boebert of Colorado tweeted out the location of Nancy Pelosi during the insurrection, and has also said she will pack heat in the Congressional chamber and continues to promote baseless, ludicrous QAnon theories including the one about a world-wide demonic pedophile ring that includes almost all Democratic leaders.
So you see, there wasn’t a magical awakening of decency and soul. I never really thought it would happen overnight, but I did hold out hope that members of the GOP, good decent people who work to do the right thing, would eagerly grab this opportunity to distance themselves from the lunatic fringe. And the fringe lunatic.
I was, to coin a phrase, mistaken.
Many have instead doubled down in the callous belief that, if they align themselves closely with the ex-monarch wannabe, their constituents will reward them with a bounty of re-elections. For it is not serving the people these people crave, it is power and the spoils of victory. It is the chance to self-serve at the buffet of Congress and put the people’s will, the people’s needs on hold while they line their pockets with present day perks and future six-figure speaking fees.
These people don’t care about you and me. They care about themselves. Period. They are charter members of the Every Person for Themselves Party, led by the former huckster-in- chief.
They deserve to be beaten soundly in the next elections, but they won’t be; the machine is too powerful, the gerrymandering too insidious. Not until a good number, not two, three or five, but dozens of the GOP leaders stand up, grow a pair, and denounce the dangerous, incendiary lies of the past administration, not until there is a great reckoning from within the Republican party (and please stop calling it the party of Lincoln), will we truly have a chance at reconciliation, at real conversation, a true unity, or “trunity” as I like to say.
I am not giving up hope, but I am not relaxing either. It is up to all of us to remain diligent, to continue to hold accountable ALL those we elect to office, and demand truth, dignity, accountability, and service to we the people above their craven petty desires. They work for us, not the other way round.
Speaking of being elected to office, I believe those who are given the honor of serving in any elected position should earn their position not only by raising a buttload of money to run misleading ads, but also by demonstrating that they have, oh I dunno, a rudimentary idea of just how government is supposed to work.
I know, I know, that’s the crazy in me talking, but hear me out.
You want to drive a car? You have to pass a test.
You want to be a doctor? You have to pass a lot of tests.
You want to be a lawyer? What the hell is wrong with you?
You want to become a citizen of the United States, but were born on foreign soil? You have to pass a naturalization test with two components – English and Civics.
By the way, I feel pretty confident in saying our former president would flunk both parts.
In fact, I would bet good money that a large number of our current congress would come up short. I’m looking at you, Georgia QAnon groupie and you, Colorado pistol packing mama. In fact, Tommy Tuberville (whose name alone should disqualify him from holding public office) was recently elected to the US Senate from Alabama. His qualifications? He is the former football coach at Auburn University. When referring to the three branches of government, he identified them as the House, the Senate and the Executive. Somewhere Ruth Bader Ginsburg is puking. He also claimed his dad fought in WWII to free Europe from socialism.
Uh … no.
I’d say he got hit in the head too many times playing football, but he was a damn coach for God’s sake.
Anyway, as a public service, I whipped up an exhaustive quiz for would be presidents. You must get eight out of ten correct to qualify and be allowed to spend other people’s millions of dollars before ultimately drop out of the race in February.
Here goes; and for those of you scoring at home, congratulations!
1. What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
a) The Bill of Rights
b) The Rights for Bill
c) Hamilton, The Musical
d) A Murder of Crows
2. What are the three branches of the federal government?
a) White House, Senate Chamber, Supreme Court
b) Executive, Legislative, Judicial
c) Moe, Larry, Curly
d) Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
3. What are the first three words of the Constitution?
a) Once upon a
b) Hip Hip Hooray
c) We the People
d) I am Sam
4. What is the meaning of Rule of Law?
a) No one is above the law
b) No one is below the law
c) No one really knows the law
d) I fought the law and the law won
5. This branch has the power to impeach
a) The half of the Senate possessing vertebrae
b) The Impeachment Tree branch
c) Legislative
d) Library of Congress, Smithsonian branch
6. Who can propose new taxes?
a) Tom Hanks
b) H or R Block
c) The House of Representatives
d) Anyone with a current Instagram account
7. How many articles are in the Constitution?
a) Depends on the news that week
b) 7
c) 14
d) Zero, but there are a lot of opinion pieces
8. The Second Amendment to the Constitution:
a) Guarantees the right to bear arms
b) Guarantees the right to arm bears
c) Guarantees the right to pretend you know the rest of the Constitution
d) Guarantees major arguments at Thanksgiving
9. Which branch of government has two houses?
a) The divorced branch
b) The wealthy branch
c) The legislative branch
d) The Montagues and Capulets (both alike in dignity)
10. How long does the president serve?
a) Four years
b) Six years
c) Until he double faults
d) Too long
I didn’t put the answers here because it’s too hard to write them upside down and, honestly, if you missed any of those, your citizenship should be revoked.
So that’s my gift to the democratic process. I won’t even copyright it, as I hope it is embraced far and wide as a basic litmus test for fitness of duty.
You’re welcome.
Love your style!!!!